Apparatus for submarine operations.



P. E. GALOFPRE. APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE OPERATIONS.

. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 8. 1909. 935,485.

Patented Sept. 28, 1909.

UNITED STATES PATENT are.

PIERRE EUGENE GALOFFRE, 0F PARIS, FRANCE.

APPARATUS FOR SUBMARINE OPERATIONS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PIERRE EUGENE GA- Lorriui, citizen of the Republicof France, residing at Paris, in France, have invented certain new anduseful Apparatus for Submarine Operations, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to apparatus for submarine operations and has forits object to provide an arrangement which can be used forinvestigations and work at a great depth.

According to this invention the apparatus comprises a spherical bodyprovided with devices on its outside for shifting or seizing submergedmaterials, such devices comprising one or more pairs of pincers or thelike capable of being moved in any direction and operated separately ortogether from within the diving sphere.

In the accompanying drawings which show one form of this apparatusFigure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation, Fig. 2 is a section on theline AA of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a sectional'view of part of theapparatus on the line B-B of Fig. 2.

In the construction shown the apparatus comprises two superimposedsemi-spherical shells 1 and 2 connected together in a water tight mannerso as to form a complete sphere, to the interior of which access may behad through an opening 3 formed at the top of the upper hemisphere 1normally closed by means of a plate or cover 4 capable of being openedor closed in an air tight manner either from inside the sphere or fromthe outside. The man-hole cover 4 is provided with a screw threadedspindle 4 the upper end of which carries a locking nut 43. The lower orinner end of said spindle extends through a hinged spider 46 and belowthe latter is provided with a 1ocking nut 47. By manipulating thelocking nuts 43 and 47 the man-hole cover can be opened or closed fromwithin the shell or from the exterior thereof.

One of the hemispheres, preferably the lower one 2, is provided near itscenter with two openings 5 through which pass two pairs of pincerscapable of being moved 1n any direction the special arrangement of whichconstitutes one of the characteristic features of this invention.

To each of the openings 5 is secured in a fluid tight manner a disk 6which can be rotated in its respective opening 5 by means Specificationof Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 28, 1909. Application filed. January8, 1909.

Serial No. 471,362.

of a worm 7 mounted within the sphere and engaging with a worm wheel 8carried by the disk 6. Through the latter passes at right angles asecond disk 9 having central trunnions 10 rotating in bearings formed onthe inner surface, or in the thickness of the other disk 6. Mountedwithin the sphere is a toothed sector 11 with which a worm 12 carried bythe disk 6 engages, this sector being connected to the disk 9 which canthus be partially rotated in a direction at right angles to the disk 6which in its turn can ro tate in a plane tangential to the sphere. Theopenings 5 in which the two disks operate are provided with suitablepackings to prevent leakage.

Through the center of the disk 9 in a direction parallel to its face ispassed a tube 13 the end of which that lies within the sphere beingprovided with a worm wheel 14 with which engages a worm 15 supported bythe disk 9. By operating the worm 15 it is possible to rotate the tube13 completely in the disk 9 so that the tube can be arranged in anydirection and occupy any desired oblique positions relative to thesphere.

At its outer end, the tube 13 terminates in the jaw 16 of one pair ofpincers, the other jaw 17 of which is supported by the end of apolygonal rod' 18 capable of sliding within the bore of the tube 13which is of corresponding cross sect-ion. The upper end of the rod 18 isscrew threaded as at 19 and engages a tapped nut 20 at the end of asleeve or socket 21 disposed within the tube 13 so as to rotate but notmove axially therein. The said sleeve 21 carries at its end situatedwithin the sphere a crank handle 22 or the like whereby the distancebetween the ends of the aws 16 and 17 of the pair of pincers can bevaried at will.

With the construction described above it is possible to operate from theinterior of the sphere one or more pairs of pincers and manipulate themseparately at different points or jointly at one and the same point,according to the work to be performed.

Port holes 23 arranged at suitable points of the lower hemisphere 2 orof that carrying the pincers enable the different working points to belighted and examined, and these port holes may be closed in case of daner from the outside as well as'from the inside by suitable covers. Oneof such covers is arranged outside and comprises a shutter 24 pivoted atits center to the end of a lever 26 which is operated from inside thesphere and which for that purpose carries on its pivot pin a worm wheel27 engaging a worm 28, the spindle of which passes through the shell ofthe sphere and is provided with an operating crank 29. By actuating thecrank handle 29 the outer face of the port hole 23 is either opened orclosed when it is desired to protect the latter or even to prevent aleak through its joint. The other cover is d1sposed inside the sphereand con'iprises a disk 25 pivoted to one of the ends of a balanced lever31 on the other end of which is a weight 32 which tends to maintain thedisk 25 away from its port hole 23. This inner disk forms a cap and isprovided with an internal screw thread which enables it if desired to bescrewed on the rim of the port hole which is correspondinglyscrewthreaded.

The apparatus is suspended from the winch or otherwise of a vessel onthe surface by means of chains 33 the extreme links of which engagesuitable hooks 34 which can be rotated from the interior of the sphereto enable the apparatus to be disengaged from its suspension cable whenfor any reason the latter breaks or interferes with its move ments. Inthat case the raising of the apparatus to the surface of the water iseffected 'by emptying ballast cases 35 with which the apparatus isprovided on its outside at diametrically opposite points. To enable thisemptying to take place these cases are each provided with a pivoted base36 supported at one of its corners by means of a rotatable finger 37normally held in place by a bolt 38 inside the sphere. IVhen this bolt38 is released the finger 37 is rotated and the base 36 of the ballastcase swings down so as to discharge the contents thereof.

The apparatus is provided at either side at diametrically oppositepoints with water tight gear cases 46 in which are mounted electricmotors operating propellers 47 whereby the apparatus may be drivenwithout external assistance. Suitable weights or anchors 4O suspended towinches also operated from the interior of the apparatus enable thelatter to be anchored in a predetermined position and at the desiredheight above the point to be investigated.

The union of the air supply pipe 41 to the apparatus is provided with anautomatic valve 42 which closes the pipe when for any reason waterenters the sphere thereby.

The outside looking nut 43 which maintains the screw-threaded spindle ofthe manhole cover 4 in position is provided with an eye to which isconnected a screw threaded rod 4% supported in a pivoted bracket 45which facilitates the release and operation of the man-hole covermechanism.

Finally the apparatus is provided with signaling apparatus which may betele graphic, telephonic or otherwise enabling communication to beestablished between the crew of the vessel on the surface and thosewithin the sphere.

It will be understood that details of 0011- struction may beconsiderably varied without departing from this invention.

What I claim as my invention and desire to procure by Letters Patentis 1. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having amanhole therein, an airtight cover for said manhole, means for supplyingair to the interior of the sphere, an inspection window in said sphere,means for lowering the sphere, disengaging mechanism for said loweringmeans operable from within the sphere, means for maneuvering the sphereand gripping means extending outside the sphere and operable from withinthe latter as set forth.

2. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having a manholetherein, an airtight cover for said manhole, means for supplying air tothe interior of the sphere, an inspection window in said sphere, meansfor lowering the sphere, disengaging mechanism for said lowering meansoperable from within the sphere and gripping means extending outside thesphere, operable from within the sphere, and capable of universalmovement as set forth.

3. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having a manholetherein, an air tight cover for said manhole, means for supplying air tothe interior of the sphere, an inspection window in said sphere, meansfor lowering the sphere, disengaging mechanism for said lowering meansoperable from within the sphere and gripping means extending outside thesphere comprising a plurality of pairs of pincers operable from withinthe sphere and capable of universal movement as set forth.

4. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having a manholetherein, an air tight cover for said manhole, means operable from withinand from without the sphere for actuating said cover, means forsupplying air to the interior of the sphere an inspection window in thesphere, means for maneuvering the sphere and gripping means extendingoutside the sphere and operable from within the latter as set forth.

5. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having amanholetherein, an air tight cover for said manhole, means for supplying air tothe interior of the sphere, an inspection window in said sphere, ballastcontaining chambers on the exterior of the sphere, means operable fromwithin the sphere for discharging said ballast, means for propellingsaid sphere, and gripping means extending outside the sphere, operablefrom Within the latter, and capable of universal movement as set forth.

6. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having a manholetherein, an air tight cover for said manhole means for supplying air tothe interior of the sphere an inspection window in said sphere, ballastcontaining chambers on the exterior of the sphere, means operable fromwithin the sphere for discharging said ballast, means for propellingsaid sphere, an anchor for the sphere controlled from within the latter,and gripping means extending outside the sphere, operable from withinthe latter, and capable of universal movementas set forth.

7. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having a manholetherein, an airtight cover for said manhole, means for supplying andcontrolling the supply of air to the interior of the sphere, means forlowering the sphere, disengaging mechanism for said loweringmeans'operable from within the sphere, a plurality of inspection windowsin said sphere, means operable from within the sphere for covering theouter and inner surfaces of said windows in a water tight manner, meansfor maneuvering the sphere, and gripping means extending outside thesphere, operable from within the latter, and capable of universalmovement as set forth.

8. In submarine apparatus the combination of a sphere having a manholetherein, an air tight cover for said manhole, means operable from withinand without the sphere for actuating said cover, means for supplying andcontrolling the supply of air to the interior of the sphere, a pluralityof inspection windows in said sphere, means operable from within thesphere for covering the outer and inner surfaces of said windows, meansfor lowering the sphere, disengaging mechanism for said lowering meansoperable from within the sphere, ballast containing chambers on theexterior of the sphere, means operable from within the sphere fordischarging said ballast, means for propelling said sphere, a pluralityof anchors controlled from within the sphere, and gripping meansextending outside the sphere each comprising a pair of pincers operablefrom within the sphere by means of worm gearing and capable of universalmovement as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

PIERRE EUGENE GALOFFRE.

Witnesses:

DEAN B. MASON, GEORGEs BONNEUIL.

